Endoscope

Abstract

An endoscope including: a shaft having an outer tube and an inner tube, the inner tube being arranged inside the outer tube; and a contact-free magnetic coupling. The contact-free magnetic coupling including: an outer coupling part arranged concentrically with the outer tube, the outer coupling part being arranged outside the outer tube in a radial direction; and an inner coupling part arranged concentrically with the inner tube, the inner coupling part being arranged inside the inner tube in the radial direction; and one or more of light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors are disposed longitudinally within a gap between the outer tube and the inner tube. Where the inner coupling part is configured to be one or more of translatorily and rotationally moved by means of a magnetic operative connection between the outer coupling part and the inner coupling part; and the magnetic operative connection through the gap is rotationally non-symmetric.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An endoscope comprising:
 a shaft having an outer tube and an inner tube, the inner tube being arranged inside the outer tube; and   a contact-free magnetic coupling comprising:
 an outer coupling part arranged concentrically with the outer tube, the outer coupling part being arranged outside the outer tube in a radial direction; and 
 an inner coupling part arranged concentrically with the inner tube, the inner coupling part being arranged inside the inner tube in the radial direction; and 
   one or more of light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors are disposed longitudinally within a gap between the outer tube and the inner tube; wherein   the inner coupling part is configured to be one or more of translatorily and rotationally moved by means of a magnetic operative connection between the outer coupling part and the inner coupling part; and   the magnetic operative connection through the gap is rotationally non-symmetric.   
     
     
         2 . The endoscope according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner coupling part is eccentrically arranged inside the outer coupling part. 
     
     
         3 . The endoscope according to  claim 2 , wherein the one or more light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors are disposed as a bundle in an area of a maximum distance between inner tube and outer tube. 
     
     
         4 . The endoscope according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors do not entirely fill the gap, the endoscope further comprising a filling material having a magnetic permeability between 1.5 and 70 disposed at least partially in a portion of the gap in which the one or more of light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors are not disposed. 
     
     
         5 . The endoscope of  claim 4 , wherein the magnetic permeability is between 5 and 11. 
     
     
         6 . The endoscope according to  claim 4 , wherein the filling material comprises a synthetic material, which is mixed with magnetic particles. 
     
     
         7 . The endoscope according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors are guided through the gap as a bundle. 
     
     
         8 . The endoscope according to  claim 4 , wherein the filling material substantially entirely fills the portion of the gap which is free of the one or more light-guiding fibers and electrical conductors. 
     
     
         9 . The endoscope according to  claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more light-guiding fibers and/or electrical conductors are guided through an opening in the filling material.